Beyond the Wall of Sleep (2004)
- written August 2005
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Joe Slaader is a mysterious mountain man being held in the Ulster County Asylum after the brutal murder of his family. Edward Eischel is a young intern who sees something more than just an “inbred redneck” in this new inmate. In fact, he sees a pure mind, one with which he can continue his own experiments on the brain. But something is wrong with Joe and when bodies start to pile up, perhaps it is only Edward who can stop the murders...perhaps he’s the reason they’re occurring.
Overall: I’ll give the filmmakers some credit; the internet is chock-full of expectations for the film. But don’t read the story and expect something similar, because you won’t find it. The original story is how Edward watches and realizes there are new forces and beings that have come to Earth and reside in Joe. The film veers off into Joe and what is inside but also the deaths that start to occur from it. The film veers off once Joe enters the asylum. Which isn’t a bad thing since the film correctly calls itself an adaptation. The acting can be good, depending on the character. William Sanderson doesn’t live up to his best days of work nor did “Dr. Fenton.” But Kurt Hargan as “Dr. Wardlow” was quite good and kept the ship afloat. The film has some nice camera work and some really good cinematography which definitely lifts this film about most other indie work. The gore was also tremendously done so another high mark given. If there is a weakness to the film, it can be the acting but also, the wardrobe...specifically the hair of the characters. In Edward’s case, it’s eventually explained but for much of the film, it looks as off as other characters. Although, again, it’s explained later on. Other character’s issues are not, leading me to believe, this could have been done better. It’s just that every time certain characters appear, you tend to notice the issues, which detracts from the scene. Once Edward’s issue are taken care of, the film gets clearer but it then brings up questions as to why other actors coiffure’s weren’t fixed. It’s a good film and for H.P. Lovecraft fans, it’s worth some attention. Comparison: Beyond Re-Animator meets Hellraiser 2 |
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